It’s lunch time. The Special K bar that you had for breakfast just isn’t cutting it. You can smell the delicious leftovers that your co-worker’s heating up in the kitchen. And you’re well aware of the fact that every fast food place imaginable is merely 5-minutes down the road. All you want is a French fry! Or a chicken nugget! How are you going to make it until 5 o’clock??

Fast-forward 12 hours: You just returned from a night out with the girls. Midday or midnight, a lot of us will crave the grease. I can full-heartedly agree that saying “no” is not that easy. Your friends want to stop at Wendy’s. You have all the fixings for some late night nachos. You resisted ordering out for lunch, but now you’re throwing the diet down the drain.

WAIT! Does this sound all too familiar? You know it’s going to happen. So why not be ready for it?

I introduce to you… Falafel.

Falafel is made out of chick peas or fava beans. No, I’m not a vegetarian. But yes, I love falafel. It’s fried. It can be dipped. It’s healthy healthier. And it’s delicious.

Spices, other vegetables, pita bread, and hummus can be added as you wish. I know this is starting to sound pretty healthy for late-night, drunk eating, but trust me, you won’t regret it in the morning. Pass on the fries and stock up with falafel. You know that you’re going to eat whatever’s in the fridge anyways, so why not force yourself to be a little healthier?

Joseph’s Falafel (who also makes delicious hummus) comes pre-packaged at most grocery stores. Buy a pack and keep it in the fridge at work. Two patties are roughly 120 calories and have 5 grams of protein. Dip it in your favorite Joseph’s Hummus (I recommend the spinach & artichoke, classic, or vegetable), and you’ve got yourself a lunch.